LexDirt: Gardeners open their fields for all

Wednesday

Jun 19, 2013 at 12:01 AMJun 19, 2013 at 7:00 PM

The Lexington Farmers’ Market will hold its third annual local garden tour on Saturday, June 22, from 9 to 11 a.m. to benefit Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). Garden tour participants will have the opportunity to learn from local gardeners’ knowledge and expertise and acquire tips for their own gardens.

Calvin Iverson/Guest Columnist

The Lexington Farmers’ Market will hold its third annual local garden tour on Saturday, June 22, from 9 to 11 a.m. to benefit Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). Garden tour participants will have the opportunity to learn from local gardeners’ knowledge and expertise and acquire tips for their own gardens.

This year’s tour will focus on sustainable gardening practices and edible plants. Rather than admiring traditional decorative gardens, as has been the focus in past years, this year’s participants will see gardens that engage in composting, growing your own produce, and even raising chickens and goats.

Helen Theodosiou, a Lexington resident, has organized the garden tour for two years now. She says she is excited to be part of a local fundraiser that allows participants to see the interesting gardening practices their neighbors are applying in their own backyards.

"Right here in our town there are so many hidden gems that everyone might not know about," said Theodosiou. "We are so fortunate that these gardeners are opening up and sharing the local gardening culture with us."

Leandra Elion, a Winchester resident who attended the garden tour last year, recalled fond memories of meeting the gardeners and exploring local gardens.

"There were so many well cultivated gardens on the tour last year," said Elion. "The gardeners, who so generously opened their gardens to us, and Seija Halva, who lead the tour, were so willing to share their tips and growing secrets. I took copious notes, and this spring I planted several of the shrubs I saw growing so well in the Lexington gardens in my own garden."

The gardeners and homeowners will personally lead the tours themselves. Participants will be able to ask questions about sustainable gardening practices, how to grow your own food, and what inspired these gardeners to design their gardens they way they did.

The tour organizers are excited to offer one hour of free garden consultation valued at $150 by local landscape designer Seija Halva to one participant. Halva has a doctorate in horticulture from the University of Helsinki in Finland and Halva is also a graduate of the combined Landscape Institute of Harvard and the Boston Architectural College Program. She has years of edible gardening experience that she is eager to share with this year’s participants.

Halva initiated the garden tours in 2011 as a fundraiser for the SNAP program at the Lexington Farmers’ Market. All proceeds collected from the suggested $20 donation to join the tour will help to fund the Lexington Farmers’ Market’s SNAP program. SNAP offers nutritional assistance to millions of eligible, low-income individuals and families and provides economic benefits to communities.

"We’re so pleased that the gardeners are welcoming us for this garden tour not only because their gardens are beautiful, but also because this tour is such an important fundraiser," said Martha Slone, Lexington Farmers’ Market manager. "Proceeds from this tour will help us to match SNAP benefits up to $20, enabling SNAP customers to purchase and enjoy local, quality produce for themselves and their families."

Participants can meet in Lexington Center and travel together to each garden. Tickets are available every week at the Lexington Farmers’ Market, and individuals who are not able to make it to the market can sign up by emailing Helen at htheodosiou@rcn.com. Space is limited, so interested parties are encouraged to sign up early. This year, Moison Ace Hardware has donated complimentary seed packets that each participant will receive for their own gardens when they sign up for the tour.

Calvin Iverson is a Lexington resident and Lexington Farmers’ Market volunteer. The Lexington Farmers’ Market is located at the intersection of Massachusetts and Fletcher avenues and Woburn Street and will be open every Tuesday, rain or shine, from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. For more information about the Lexington Farmers’ Market, visit lexingtonfarmersmarket.org.